Hermann gÖring
EARLY LIFE
Hermann Göring was born on January 12, 1893 in Rosenheim, Germany. He served as a pilot in World War I and finished the war as a decorated war hero. After the war, Göring served as a commercial pilot in the Nordic countries of Europe, where he met his wife. Göring was put in charge of the stormtroopers (SA) upon their creation in 1915. In 1922, Göring met Hitler at a Nazi Party rally and later joined the Nazi Party. During the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Göring was severely injured. He fled to Italy via Austria and was treated with morphine, to which he became addicted. He returned to Germany in 1927. Göring used his political, business, and military contacts to help Hitler gain power. NAZI INVOLVEMENT AND CRIMES IN WORLD WAR II In 1931, Hitler appointed Göring as his political representative in Berlin; that same year, his wife, Carin, died of a heart attack. Göring then became president of parliament in 1932. The following year, 1933, Göring created the Gestapo, and helped set up early concentration camps for political enemies. In 1935, he gained command of the German air force, the Luftwaffe; he held this position until the end of World War II. Göring ordered the exclusion of Jews from German society as well as their elimination in 1938. In 1941, he instructed Heydrich to carry out the so-called "final solution". During this period, Göring also had almost absolute control over the German economy. Göring was declared Hitler’s successor in a secret decree in 1934. However, Göring tried to assume this title too soon. As Russia was about to take Berlin in 1945 Göring thought Hitler was powerless. Hitler saw this as treason and stripped Göring of his standing and subsequently placed him under house arrest. Once Hitler committed suicide, Göring was freed and surrendered to American troops right away. CAPTURE, TRIAL, AND DEATH Göring was tried during the Nuremburg Trials. He was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged, despite his plea to be shot. The day of his scheduled execution, Göring took a cyanide capsule and killed himself. Sources: "Hermann Goring." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 03 May 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/hermann-g%C3%B6ring-37281#world-war-ii "Hermann Goering." HISTORY. N.p., 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 May 2015 http://www.history.co.uk/biographies/hermann-goering "Hermann Göring: Timeline." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 20 June 2014. Web. 07 May 2015. <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007772>. |